The Marie Claire Her Art Prize winner has been announced, celebrating female voices in the art world

Zhanna Kadyrova has been crowned the inaugural Her Art Prize winner for her work exploring cultural identity.

The new award champions groundbreaking female artists and was created by Marie Claire France and Art Paris in partnership with luxury jewellery brand Boucheron.

The talented artist, represented by Continua Gallery, will receive €30,000 from Boucheron, and her work will be showcased during an international campaign. Kadyrova will also receive a stunning trophy crafted by Boucheron's artisans in the shape of an emerald cut—a symbol of the brand's heritage—and formed from rock crystal, the favorite material of Boucheron's founder.

Marie Claire France partnered with the contemporary art fair in Paris and Boucheron to honour female artists who explore modern themes around society and womanhood. The Her Art Prize aims to highlight the work and career of a contemporary artist with this unique award, decided by a prestigious panel of champions of creativity, chaired by actress Élodie Bouchez.

Ukrainian-born Kadyrova uses a variety of mediums in her art, including sculpture, photography, video, and performance art. Kadyrova explores themes around cultural shifts, in particular post-Soviet identity, reflecting the changing landscapes of Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

In her work, Kadyrova focuses on exhibition space and the immediate surroundings of her creations, allowing the context of her pieces to become part of the story. She works with local building materials, such as glass, tiles, and cement, and her works are often displayed in urban settings that are connected to the pieces themselves.

In addition to the Her Art Prize, Kadyrova has just been awarded the Shevchenko National Prize—she is the first woman in twenty years to receive this distinction.

Boucheron, which provided the prize for the Her Art award and was heavily involved in the campaign, is led by two influential women: Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, CEO, and Claire Choisne, Creative Director. They aim to continue the artistic legacy that the Maison’s founder, Frédéric Boucheron, started.

Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, CEO of Boucheron, spoke to Marie Claire FR about the intrinsic link between jewellery and art to explain why Boucheron was an ideal partner for the campaign.

"Our connection with art is almost natural, even filial, because jewelry is an art in its own right. We have this passion ingrained in our bodies," she explained.

The CEO continued, "It's not about making something beautiful for the sake of it, but about making everything meaningful. So, when we launched the Or Bleu collection last July, our aim was also to talk about the preciousness of water."

Poulit-Duquesne said of the Her Art Prize, "This project touches me deeply, both as a woman leader and an art enthusiast. It represents another way for us to demonstrate our commitment to innovation and creativity while supporting the next generation of talented women.

"It's also about legacy: the more of us who break through barriers, the more those barriers will fade away for those who follow."

Guillaume Piens, Art Paris Director, said of the collaboration, "Working to reinforce the visibility of women artists by creating a prize in partnership with Marie Claire — a magazine that has already greatly contributed to the cause of women’s emancipation — is the logical next step.

"Already in 2019 (as part of a focus on women artists in France) Art Paris was one of the first fairs worldwide to invite AWARE: Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions, an association founded by Camille Morineau."

The Her Art Prize jury brought together a group of influential people in art and media who champion creativity in all its forms to judge the awards at Boucheron Apartment at the Maison's flagship address, 26 Place Vendôme, to decide on the winner of the prestigious award.

The full panel included Elodie Bouchez (French actor and president of the Jury), Hélène Poulit-Duquesne (Boucheron CEO), Cécile Debray (president of the Musée National Picasso Paris), Rabih Kayrouz (fashion designer and member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture), and Katell Pouliquen (editor-in-chief Marie Claire France), as well as other distinguished creatives, curators, and academics.

Marion Vignal, art consultant, exhibition curator, and Marie Claire contributing author, collaborated with Guillaume Piens, Director of Art Paris, to select the Her Art Prize finalists.

The 12 finalists work across various disciplines and styles, exploring contemporary issues that affect women, themes aligned with Marie Claire's ethos. They are as follows:

Sama Alshaibi (1975, American) - Galerie Esther Woerdehoff
Maty Biayenda (1998, French) - Double V Gallery
Gillian Brett (1990, French) - C+N Gallery Canepaneri
Suzanne Husky (1975, French) - Galerie Alain Gutharc
Oda Jaune (1979, Bulgarian) - Templon
Zhanna Kadyrova (1981, Ukrainian) - Continua
Mari Katayama (1987, Japanese) - Galerie Suzanne Tarasiève
Evi Keller (1968, German) - Galerie Jeanne Bucher Jaeger
Mathilde Rosier (1973, French) - Pauline Pavec
Kiki Smith (1954, American) - Galerie Lelong & Co.
Thu Van Tran (1979, French-Vietnamese) - Meessen , Almine Rech , Rüdiger Schöttle
Agnès Thurnauer (1962, French) - Galerie Michel Rein

Congratulations to Zhanna Kadyrova on her incredible achievement.